FRUITLAND PARK — Crews from Lake County Fire Rescue, Fruitland Park Fire Department and Leesburg Fire Department worked together Wednesday night to quickly extinguish a house fire in Fruitland Park. Lake County Fire Rescue E-53 from Spring Lake Road, Fruitland Park E-56 and Leesburg Fire Department E-62 all arrived within four minutes of receiving the call at approximately 10:00 p.m. Lt. Chris Bagley of Lake County Fire Rescue stated that upon his arrival he found “fire and smoke coming from the center of the roof and heavy smoke in the kitchen area of the residence.”

Crews forced entry into the building and found heavy fire in the attic space above the living room and the kitchen. Firefighters worked aggressively to extinguish the fire and search for victims. The fire was extinguished within fifteen minutes of arrival however the search unfortunately revealed two victims, the family pets. The owner was not home at the time of the fire.

The State Fire Marshall was called in to investigate the cause of the fire. Heavy weather producing lightning in the area could have started the fire, but the cause was still under investigation when crews left the scene.

With the exception of some smoke damage, most items in the bedrooms and living room were spared. The roof and attic space on the residence were a complete loss. The Red Cross was called in to assist the owner.

###

More Information:Lake County Department of Public Safety(352) 343-9458